They Always Break Your Heart In The End, Don't They?
by ebonyandunicorn
Summary: Short fic post 1x02; slightly AU. Stephen's post-centipede coma persists for a little while longer; Connor takes over Abby's vigil by his bedside.


Abby sits by Stephen's bedside for over twelve hours before Connor finally decides that something has to be done. He enters the hospital room and touches Abby's shoulder gently, not surprised when she doesn't even turn her head to look at him. He knows she rode in the ambulance with Stephen. He can only imagine what they talked about, what with Stephen close to dying and Abby's adoration for him clear for even Connor to see.

"How is he?" Connor asks quietly. Stephen's skin is still a little pale, even against the whiteness of the pillow. Connor watches his chest rise and fall beneath the sheets, and tries not to let his eyes stray to the bandage over the deep wound in Stephen's collarbone.

"The convulsions have stopped," Abby replies in a voice stripped of energy. "That's something."

Connor's gaze slants downwards to the figure of the girl in the chair. He admires her tenacity in sitting by the bedside for so long, even as he wishes he were allowed to occupy the place instead. "You really like him, don't you?" he murmurs. How could she not? Stephen is brave, clever, fit, good with guns and words and women. And Abby isn't the only member of their little team to be attracted to him.

"I don't know him," Abby whispers, still not looking up.

"When has that ever stopped people from fancying each other before?" Connor asks rhetorically. It's not like he knows Stephen, either; they've been working together on the anomaly project for less than a fortnight, prior to which Connor had only ever caught glimpses of him on campus. (He doubts Stephen even knew his name back then.) At last Abby moves her head to stare at Connor, who smiles down at her as reassuringly as he can. "Let me take over for a little while. You should go home and sleep."

"I'm fine," Abby insists, even as an exhausted yawn stretches her face.

"Right," Connor says. He touches her shoulder again. "C'mon, Abby. Soon as he wakes up, I'll let you know, I promise."

With a quiet sigh, Abby bows her head. After a moment she stands and slowly leaves the room. As he takes the seat she vacated, Connor watches her pause at the door to look over her shoulder at Stephen one last time, and he reads in her face the emotion she can't hide. Connor is more perceptive than people give him credit for, and he's already figured out that he has no chance here. Stephen and Abby are perfect for each other – two strong, brave, wilful, gorgeous people – and Connor Temple doesn't hold a candle to either of them. The only thing he can find amusing about this is that everyone else has it backwards; they assume Connor's bumbling, hopeless crush is on Abby, when in reality…

Stephen shifts slightly on the bed and Connor's attention is instantly diverted. He leans forward a little in the chair, a sudden tightness in his throat, but Stephen simply turns his head away again and is still. After a moment Connor sits back and concentrates on Stephen's breathing: rise and fall, rise and fall. As long as the sheets continue their gentle movement up and down, Stephen is fine. Stephen is fine.

The late night stretches into morning, and memories from the previous day begin to flood Connor's brain with disturbing alacrity. Soon, the Stephen on the bed before him is replaced by the one who was on the stretcher after being bitten – face drained of colour, eyes rolled up in his head, shaking, struggling to breathe. Connor remembers telling Claudia that the centipede couldn't have been poisonous, and the shock like an icy knife into his spine when Cutter had told them that it was, and that it had bitten Stephen. Connor's screwed up big time twice in the past few days. Stephen would never have made such a rookie error.

Connor doesn't want to think about what he's going to say when Stephen does wake up._Nice to see you back with us, mate. Sorry I nearly got you killed. Fancy a drink sometime?_ It's laughable even in his thoughts. Connor may be perceptive, but while he can see what other people are feeling that doesn't mean he can translate his own emotions in a way that's even moderately socially acceptable. He pretty sure that Stephen doesn't feel that way towards men. He's _very_ sure that Stephen doesn't feel that way towards him.

There's another motion from the bed and this time it's accompanied by a cough. As Stephen's eyes gradually flutter open, Connor's heart begins to race for a reason he knows very well but refuses to admit to himself. Just before Stephen turns his head, Connor abandons his post in the chair, calling over his shoulder towards the door: "Doctor? I think he's back." _Coward_, he curses himself as he flees the room. He pretends it is pride that doesn't want Stephen to see how Connor has been watching and waiting, but he knows it is fear of what the man will say – or what he won't.


End file.
